Smile Charitable Trust Blog

A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others. The ever-widening reach of the media in popular culture has elevated certain celebrities to worldwide acclaim. This boom of media coverage and constant exposure to these individuals resulted in a change of mindset toward celebrities in both adults and youth alike.

Amitabh Bachchan is the number one role model in India - ahead of Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Gates, Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan! So says a survey conducted by Indicus Analytics, ranking Bachchan above all the other celebrities who figure in the Top 10 list of role models, including A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Dhirubhai Ambani.

Having shared the same birth date as him, I have always been curious towards Mr Bachchan since my childhood. Quite unlikely! Considering gap of a generation between us. He has influenced and impacted lives of all Indians, for last four generations, - as a dutiful/respectful son; as a affectionate/caring father; as a responsible citizen of our country and as the great ambassador of our nation/culture/ our civilization; in real-life and reel-life.

Today a long cherished childhood dream has came true; a DREAM to see/meet Mr. Bachchan in person. I was in the audience today to see, meet and listen to Mr.Bachchan in BBC’s program “In Conversation with Amitabh Bachchan” in London. I don't think my appreciation for him, has anything to do with his huge stardom. My Appreciation for him ignites from my curiosity to understand how a man of such stature, can be so down-to-earth, gratified, balanced and polite!!! That is why he is our national role-model.

Two lines from his age old movies are very very popular amongst his fans, myself included.

• One is from Film “Agneepath”, which goes like this: “Kishi shale bhediye ko bolo, mere MAA, mere BEHEN ke taraph ankh utha key dekhe! Dekhehga shala? Nahin Dekhega. Hayein?”.
• Other is from movie "Kaalia", which goes like this: “Hum kisike ke piche khade nhi hote. Hum jahan khade hote hain line wahin se shuru hoti hai.”

It may appear these two dialogues can only be delivered by some/one goon or villainous type personality. But I always say, there are two sides to every story and in my side of the story, here are the meanings of these two golden lines from Amitabh Bachchan movies in English.

• I am dutiful and responsible for the well being of my MOTHER & my SISTER – no odd can get through to them without dealing with me first.
• I am not following anyone, I don’t need to. I try to be unique, with my every move. I try to set and follow my rules, rules backed up by ethics and principles. I am not competing with others. I compete within myself constantly to excel. I am my own competition. I don’t stand in any other queues for competing with others.

WAIT WAIT; LET ME TRY: “Kishi shale bhediye ko bolo, mere MAA, mere BEHEN, mera BETA Rishi  (my personal touch here) ke taraph ankh utha key dekhe! Dekhehga shala? Nahin Dekhega. Hayein?”.

I am talking gibberish now. Ha-ha. Its time to go to bed. I am still intoxicated by the charms of one my THREE role-models in life…Lord Mahadev, my Grandfather and Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Good-night friends!

In my yoga classes, the teacher often mentioned “Pratanjali” at the beginning and end of the classes, to bow our heads down with gratitude towards the originator of the Yoga Sutra, which is the guidebook of classical yoga. Written at least 2000 years ago, it’s made up of 195 aphorisms (sutras), or words of wisdom. But I never heard about Patanjali, the person who supposedly compiled these verses of Yoga? Like many tales about the world’s spiritual heroes, the story of Patanjali’s birth has assumed mythic dimensions. One version relates that in order to teach yoga on earth, he fell from heaven in the form of a little snake, into the upturned plans (a gesture known as anjali) of his virgin mother, Gonika, herself a powerful yogini. Here he’s regarded as an incarnation of the thousand-headed serpent-king named Remainder (Shesha) or Endless (Ananta), whose coiled body forms the throne on which Lord Vishnu is reclining. Thus, this snake is worshipped by Hindus as it is the seat of Lord Vishnu, who is one of the Holy Trinity in Hinduism.

Another version which I believed from my childhood is, based on the stories I heard from my grandparents: Lord Shiva is the God of Yoga, God of Music, God of Dance, God of Knowledge, God of Patience, God of Simplicity, God of Moderation, God of Fairness, the God who protect us and destroys all evil power. Dance is an important art form in India, and Shiva is believed to be the master of it. He is often called the Lord of Dance. The rhythm of dance is a metaphor for the balance in the universe which Shiva is believed to hold so masterfully. The upper right hand of lord Shiva holds damaru which is a musical instrument that produces rhythmic sounds. It is suggestive of the sound of breath, the sound of life, the vibrations underlying all currents of creation and manifestation. It also represents the vibrations that arise from our thoughts, emotions, mental activity, movement of senses and the very universe in which many lively creatures continue their existence till then find an escape to merge again with the creator.

It is even more heart-warming to appreciate that these yogic steps originated many thousands of years ago, are found to be useful to us living at this point in time, across this world.

Prana is the Sanskrit word for "life force"; in yoga, the term refers to a cosmic energy believed to come from the sun and connecting the elements of the universe. The universal principle of energy or force, responsible for the body's life, heat and maintenance, prana is the sum total of all energy that is manifest in the universe. This life energy, prana, has been vividly invoked and described in all Indian holy books, ancient scripts. Prana and vayu are considered interconnected. According to Sanskrit vayu (air) is essential for prana (life) to exist. The Pranayama (Practice of breathing) therefore helps us to live comfortably, peacefully and happily.

Our mind distracts us to breathe. We forget we breathe with our non-stop 60,000 mental activities a day. More we breathe, better we feel. Yoga emphasises moderation in everything we do, but it also urges us to work effectively and achieve perfection in whatever we do. Achieving perfection in our desired field will lead us to realise our goals in life / purpose of our life. Something to remember on this beautiful Sunday :)  Have a wonderful week ahead and a relaxing rest of the day.

Some people say Money is what makes the world go round. Others say love is the life of this whole existence. We all make day to day choices and big life decisions based on our economic and cultural experiences. Where and how we live in the world helps define who we are. But what if we were born somewhere else?

Money and love are both just the by-product of a belief system. It depends on what or who do we believe in. Believing in those choices in the past got us to the position where we are today. In course of our life, ideas and feelings change dramatically as new developments challenge old preconceptions.

Moment we stop believing - we would no longer be here in this position, in short time…will not take long for sure. What shall we believe in? Everything is relative. Much depends on how we choose to see it. There are two sides to every story... 

Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival which is celebrated in almost all parts of India. This festival marks the transition of Sun into the Makara Rashi (Capricorn) which is a zodiac sign. It is also believed that it marks the spring in India which is a traditional event. Makar Sankranti is celebrated on January 14, 2015. This festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase for Indian culture. This festival marks the beginning of longer days as compared to nights.

The International Kite Festival also takes place in Gujarat India today. The festival is called Uttarayan. Although the idea of flying kites to celebrate Uttrayan was introduced by Muslims from Persia, today regardless of background or beliefs, people from all over India fly kites.

Meethe gur mein mil gaye til,Udi patang aur khil gaye dil,Har pal sukh aur har din shaanti,Aap sab ke liye laaye Makar Sankranti.  Happy Makar Sankranti, everyone!

Children learn by asking questions. Students learn by asking questions. New recruits learn by asking questions. Innovators understand client needs by asking questions. It is the simplest and most effective way of learning. People who think that they know it all no longer ask questions – why should they? Brilliant thinkers never stop asking questions because they know that this is the best way to gain deeper insights. Questions are the best way to gain deeper insights and develop more innovative solutions.

The great philosophers spend their whole lives asking deep questions about the meaning of life, morality, truth and so on. We do not have to be quite so contemplative but we should nonetheless ask the deep questions about the situations we face. It is the best way to get the information we need to make informed decisions and for sales people it is the single most important skill they need to succeed.

So why do so few people utilize them? Why don’t we ask questions? If it is obvious that asking questions is such a powerful way of learning why do we stop asking questions?

• For some people the reason is that they are lazy. They assume they know all the main things they need to know and they do not bother to ask more. They cling to their beliefs and remain certain in their assumptions – yet they often end up looking foolish.

• Other people are afraid that by asking questions they will look weak, ignorant or unsure. They like to give the impression that they are decisive and in command of the relevant issues. They fear that asking questions might introduce uncertainty or show them in a poor light. In fact asking questions is a sign of strength and intelligence – not a sign of weakness or uncertainty. Great leaders constantly ask questions and are well aware that they do not have all the answers.

• Finally some people are in such a hurry to get with things that they do not stop to ask questions because it might slow them down. They risk rushing headlong into the wrong actions.

With almost all situations, we can check assumptions and gain a better appreciation of the issues by first asking questions. We can start with very basic, broad questions then move to more specific areas to clarify our understanding. Open questions are excellent – they give the other person or people chance to give broad answers and they open up matters.

Lets take an example scenario, last week’s incident at paris: We express our sincere condolences to the families of those innocent people who lost their lives in last week’s terrorist attack at the office of the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. This horrific attack on an independent media outlet is an attack against our values and our freedoms. We stand today in solidarity with the French people and its government as they seek to bring to justice the perpetrators of this attack. Examples of open questions are:

• Why do we think “Paris shooting incident” has happened?
• What all things that might have caused this incident?
• What other possibilities should we consider?
• Why it happened in Paris and not in other places in the west?
• What role “France” is playing at the moment in global action against terrorism?

As we listen carefully to the answers we formulate further questions. When someone gives an answer we can often ask, “Why?” The temptation is to plunge in with our opinions, responses, conclusions or proposals. The better approach is keep asking questions to deepen our comprehension of the issues before making up our mind. Once we have mapped out the main points we can use closed questions to get specific information. Closed questions give the respondent a limited choice of responses – often just yes or no. Examples of closed questions are:

• Has it stopped now?
• Is it safe to visit Paris now?
• How many people died in that incident?
• Has any terrorist organization claimed responsibility yet?
• What have they said in their reasons for causing this?

By giving the other person a limited choice of responses we get specific information and deliberately move the conversation forward in a particular direction.

Asking many questions is very effective but it can make us appear to be inquisitorial and intrusive. So it is important to ask questions in a friendly and unthreatening way. Let’s not ask accusing questions. Let’s try to pose each question in a way and ensure that your body language is relaxed and amicable. Let’s not jab our finger or lean forward as we put our requests/questions.

Happy Birthday to my best friend, who is celebrating his "19th Birthday" yet again.  Sunday is about to kick off and we should make ourselves comfortable with a special song and even more special cup-of-tea! Here we go:

Young individuals don't consider of themselves as immature. They operate, from a unexpectedly early on, as if they had forever been here, as if they have plenty of practice and as if they really don't need any assist or guidance. It is as we grow older that we become more taciturn, less positive and more willing to accept support from others. While they SAY “we should all try to remain young at heart”; there are times when a more grown-up attitude can definitely work in our support. We need to be adventurous , while being careful t his year and years to come…both these attitudes need to walk hand-in-hand! 2015 is about to kick-off. Let’s go…

Everyday of our life, we struggle for freedom. What in our everyday life would we like to free ourselves from? Let’s figure out. Have we freed ourselves from something last year that we feel like celebrating? Struggles are never-ending but celebration at the end of each struggle makes the journey enjoyable.   Here is the famous poem written during the India’s freedom struggle days to inspire its fellow citizen.

In Hindi…

Vriksh hon bhale khade,

Hon ghane, hoh bade,

Ek patra chhah bhi

Maang mat! Maang mat! Maang mat!

Agneepath! Agneepath! Agneepath!

Tu na thakega kabhi,

Tu na thamega kabhi,

Tu na mudega kabhi,

Kar shapath! Kar shapath! Kar shapath!

Agneepath! Agneepath! Agneepath!

Yeh mahaan drishya hai,

Chal raha manushya hai

Ashru, swed, rakt se

Lath-path, lath-path, lath-path,

Agneepath! Agneepath! Agneepath!

English Translation

Even if there are mighty trees all around you,

Let them be shady, let them be huge,

But, even for the shade of a single leaf,

Beg not, beg never, ask never!

The path of fire you shall tread! The path of fire! Yes, That Path of Fire!

You shall never tire,

You shall never slow down,

You shall never turn back,

This oath you will take today!

This oath you will fulfill in your life!

Take this oath!

And walk the Path of Fire, every single day!

The oath of fire! Yes, That Path of Fire!

What greater spectacle,

Than to see such a man walk,

Who in tears, sweat and blood,

Is soaked, covered and coated;

And still walks on in the Path of fire!

Walks the path of fire! Yes, That Path of Fire!

Goodnight, Subh-Ratri, Shabba Khair! 

2014 is just about to end, has been quite a year so far! Traditionally the New Year is a time for making resolutions about things one can do better the next year. New Year’s Eve is often seen as a time of rebirth, the chance to start anew. We all come up with the regular resolutions for the upcoming year (losing weight, cost controlling, more travel, more work, seeing family more often and/or falling in love ), but often our ideas of what should change are too broad. This New Year’s Eve, we should all vow to take a closer look into our lives and make decisions about JUST ourselves then. Shall we?

For me; I am turning complete vegetarian starting tomorrow! How exciting and second is: I want to reach to the TOP. Not financially but literally this time. I am talking about substantial height. I want to trek & trail to a very high point of a legendary mountain. What it is – I don’t know yet. But I know for sure it will be selected & accomplished in due course. Conquering the height is not an issue; journey must to be fresh in my mind forever.

So what should be our New Year resolutions for 2015? These are the 15 New Year’s resolutions every person should make:

1.    Travel-Travel-Travel. If we don’t have money, let’s look into doing charity work abroad. There will be some programs that will sponsor us.

2.    If we hate our job, let’s quit our job. Let’s repeat: THE MONEY IS NOT WORTH IT. Food and shelter are clutch though, so let’s make sure we have another job lined up.

3.    Let’s stop beating ourselves up for missing out on routines on days we truly didn’t find time. That’s ok. But lets not miss out on days, we have plenty of times.

4.    Let’s free ourselves of enemies. Let’s apologize for what we did wrong and also forgive those who have wronged us.

5.    Let’s free ourselves of “frenemies.” Let’s not spend 2015 surrounded by people we secretly despise. Let’s spend more time with those people, who make us feel good, energies us and have few good things to say about us.

6.    Let’s make up with most — not to be confused with making out with an ex.

7.    If we think somebody is good, let’s say so. Let’s say “hi” and introduce ourselves. Every relationship we have ever had started with a greetings.

8.    Let’s leave our phone number for someone.  Let’s help strangers. “Pay it forward,” let’s do good things for the world. Regardless of the outcome, we put ourselves out there and probably made the other person’s day.

9.    Let’s stop caring about how many people “like” us. Does not matter. It is enough to live knowing we at least truly like us.

10.           It is perfectly OK to take something off our to-do-list. Sky dive, bungee jump, scuba dive, etc. Lets not make excuses any more as to why we can’t accomplish something. Everyone does not accomplish everything.

11.           Let’s stop hating ourselves; let’s love ourselves. That’s only way, that others can appreciate us, love us. Let’s Cry. When we’re happy and when we’re sad; let’s embrace our emotions as they come. Let’s conquer a fear. Not all in one go; let’s tackle one at a time. Ask me to be on your side, if we need help. Any-time!

12.           Let’s strengthen relationships with family members. Blood is thicker than water “any day”!

13. Let’s switch our Smartphone for a normal phone. I am doing it in the New Year.

14.           Let’s shop locally, eat locally and recognize where our money is going. Consumers control the economy, so let’s visit the shops; we want to survive for next generations.

15.           Let’s not judge based on anyone’s appearance. It will be incorrect mostly.

Before the golden sun sets, when 2014's calendar is destroyed, And mobile networks get jammed; I wish in 2015 our every moment is enjoyed thoroughly - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In every part of India Christmas is joyfully celebrated by people of all religions and communities. In Christian households, preparations for Christmas begin at least a month in advance. People get their homes whitewashed and indulge in spring cleaning of the house to give it a fresh new look. Ladies start preparations for the traditional Christmas cake and other cuisines which are anxiously awaited not just by the entire family but also by the neighbours.

Even in our households, we celebrated Christmas with a family get togethers and by cooking lots of local delicacies, mostly meat based dishes. Somehow my mother was least affected with the appealing food options, Christmas had to offer. When we all appeared tired eating all those special Christmas food, she used to enjoy her very healthy nutritional food, khichdi or rice+dalma or some vegetable stew stuff, very calmly and slowly with perfect contentment.  

Today, somehow I woke up thinking and missing “Kichdi”. While in bed, I called my mother to obtain the recipe. I can tell that she can never be a good cookery show host. Never!!! She goes, add this, and add that and then it is ready. I am like: how much to add? And how long to cook? Hello; I am going to cook it for the first time. Then I called my sister, a perfect cook and a definitely she has all the abilities to become a GOOD cookery show host. She has patience to explain and has the courage to experiment. She explained all in details. Quantity, time, process and quality control – all “check”!

I wanted to revive my childhood and I have something in hand to make my Christmas day, special. I went for my usual 6 km run in the morning and then: its “Kichchi time”!!! They say, Christmas is about sharing. Let me then share my mother’s / sister’s kichdi recipe to you all. Try it and let me know how you liked it.

Khichidi is very popular n Orissa and all over India. There are varieties of khichidi in Orissa like adahengu khichidi (ginger-asafoetida khichdi), moong dal khichdi, etc. Adahengu khechidi is a popular dish in the Jagannath Temple as well. At home, moong dal khechidi and other khechidis are served with pampad, pickle, curd, aaloo bharta, or baigan bharta, raita, dalma, and chutney.

Ingredients:-

• Rice - 1 cup
• Roasted Moong Dal (Split Yellow lentils) - 1 cup
• Water - 3 cups (as per requirement)

Vegetables:-

• Potato, raw banana, egg plant, green beans, peas, cauliflower, carrot & grated coconut. All the vegetables should cut in small. One onion for Aloo bharta (fried Potato mash)

​ Spices:-

• Bay leaf (Teja patra), Dry Red Chillies (Sukhila Lanka), Cumin seeds (Jeera), Grated Ginger (Checha Ada), Green Chillies (Kancha Lanka), Turmeric Powder (Haldi), Sugar to taste (Chini), Salt to taste  
• Oil - 2-3 tsp

Method:-

• Clean and wash the rice & moong dal together and soak for 30 minutes. After soaking rice and dal, drain the excess water and keep aside. First heat the water in high flame and let it boil.
• Heat 2 tsp oil in another deep pan. Add teja patta (bay leaves), cumin seeds, dry red chillies, and grated ginger to the oil and saute for a while. Then immediately add the boiling water to the deep pan.  Next add the rice, moong dal and all the vegetables, haldi powder and salt as per your taste. Cover it and let it cook in a medium flame about 10 minutes.
• When the veggies are cooked, add the grated coconut, 1 tsp sugar, to the rice and mix well and let it cook in lower flame till it is done. When the khichdi will ready add rest of the oil over it and cover it for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve your 'Christmas Khichdi' with aloo bharta (fried Potato mash).
• When the veggies are cooked, add the grated coconut, 1 tsp sugar, to the rice and mix well and let it cook in lower flame till it is done. When the khichdi will ready add rest of the oil over it and cover it for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve your 'Christmas Khichdi' with aloo bharta (fried Potato mash).
• Aloo bharta (fried Potato mash): Boil 3-4 potatoes. Peel the skin of the potatoes and mash well. Take the oil in a pan and heat well. (Use regular oil if you like. I like mine in mustard oil). Add the mustard seeds, dry chillies and diced onions. Mix well. Cook them together for sometime.  Add the potatoes and the salt and mix well. Serve hot with "Christmas Kichadi".

Please check all media files of this post at: www.bikashmohanty.com

Santa is about to come into our lives, not by way of sleigh and reindeer but by way of the hearts. It is not just the customary, the religious or the conventional who find themselves surprisingly able to summon the spirit of Christmas at a time like this. It seems that we are all about to become a fountain of generosity. Christmas is about sharing, anything, everything or something!

It is natural to look into the future and feel mystified. The veil of time is hard to see through. Even famous astrologers find it hard to be sure of what lies ahead. It is equally natural to feel uncertain about the past. When we look behind us, we see something shadowy and mystifying, which need to become clear about it.

It is that time, of the year when do look back, we look ahead to gain a fresh perspective. Perspectives can be clear. Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Everyday can be Christmas; there can be one religion in this world…region of humanity… religion of Karma. May our attitude, not our aptitude determine our altitude.

Merry Christmas everyone. May you feel happiness, freedom and peacefulness in all your endeavours in the New Year and years beyond!

All of us will get older at some stage and our hair will start to turn grey. Greying occurs as specialized cells in hair follicles called melanocytes lose their ability to produce pigment (melanin) over time. It's not that hair actually turns gray, but that new hair with less melanin grows in. White hair has virtually no melanin. Genes play a large role in greying, and there's wide variation among ethnic groups. Men tend to turn gray earlier than women.

Smoking is linked to premature greying. In rare cases, gray hair may be a sign of illness. Among other reasons of hair greying are excessive intake of tea, coffee and alcohol, of fried and oily foods, spices and sour and acidic foods.

Unfortunately, there are no proven remedies for gray or white hair other than colouring it, despite the claims made for some dietary supplements. Melancor-NH, for example, allegedly boosts melanin (and stops male pattern baldness to boot) with its blend of bromelain, collagen, biotin, inositol, and other ingredients.

No vitamin, mineral, or nutritional supplement is known to prevent or reverse age-related gray hair. The same goes for human growth hormone, yoga, removing mercury fillings, or any other touted therapy. In lab research white hair follicle cells have been stimulated to produce pigment again, and some scientists are hopeful that eventually a "cure" for greying will be possible.

In the meantime, hair colouring or learning to love the existing-grey-hair are the only options. However to prevent remaining hairs to turn grey; following can be practiced:

1. By eating protein rich foods. Proteins - Sources: sprouted whole grains, cereals, meat and soy in your diet.

2. By eating foods rich in iron, minerals and vitamin A and B.
   • Vitamin A - Sources: dark green vegetables & yellow fruits.
   • Vitamin B - Sources: fresh green leafy vegetables, bananas, tomatoes, cauliflower, cereals, liver kidney, yogurt, yeast and wheat germ.
   • Minerals like zinc, iron and copper - Sources: zinc - red meat, chicken & green vegetables
   • Iron - beef, dried apricots, red meat, parsley, eggs, wheat & sunflower seeds
   • Copper - sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, crabs and oysters, egg yolk & whole grains.

3. By eating foods rich in iodine such as banana, carrots and fish.

4. By eating 1 tea spoon of this everyday: Grate some fresh ginger. Mix with honey and place it in a jar.

5. By rubbing Indian gooseberry (Amla) into the scalp regularly.

6. And massing hairs with coconut oil and lemon juice everyday.

Sunday is the time for listening to my favourite celestial beauty of music. I generally share one. But let me do two, just for today! One slow and one fast. Why? Because it is free!

Let’s remember two things for the coming week as well. “ The glass is always half full” & “The dollar value of today is always greater than that of tomorrow”. Have a fantastic afternoon today and a brilliant week ahead.  SMILES PLEASE!

Some days, we wake up and feel that we just can't do anything/anymore. We feel that we are not good enough, we don’t have what it takes, within us, - so we can't and we shouldn’t be bothered; as it is all too much. There are other days when we feel we are rock stars and we can solve/manage any challenges of life, big-bigger-or even biggest. We say “Bring it on!”, we rise to the challenge.

My question for us: which one is real us? Is it only we or other too experience this duality? Cleaver question! Not really. This is something which is not as complex as it seems. It does not take rocket science to see what is appropriate. If we select “attachment”; we will continue to experience the pain “How can I/we not be good enough, while others are?”. And if select “integrity”; we will continue to smile “We are all human and all of us go through this experience, without a single exception!”.

Answer is: as long as we are human, both the feelings has always been, will always co-exist, irrespective of our status, profession, richness or whatever we choose to compare. Let’s profit from knowing this, which it truly right.

It is Sunday and its time for listening to my favourite celestial beauty of music; here it is: http://youtu.be/cvchIREbzdI